Drowning In You
by hoovahoopah
Summary: The annual Cain fiesta. Maureen and Ellie find a quiet moment. Sort of. Maureen Pagolis/Ellie Cain.


Ellie slipped through the kitchen door, red hair flashing in the dimmed party lighting. Her guests occupied the first floor, the string quartet muffled behind the growing noise of drunken conversation amongst old friends and associates. She tiptoed up the back stairs, the raw-silk skirt of her emerald gown bunched in both hands as she tried to stay quiet.

She nearly tripped on the top step, one hand immediately reached out for the banister, gripping the simple oak with manicured hands. Ellie paused to scan the hallway, nearly sure all of her guests were still held captive by the open bar downstairs, but wanting to be safe nonetheless. When she was satisfied there were no errant party guests lurking in the shadows of the second floor, she advanced, her skirt now skimming the oriental rug beneath her Blahniks. She pushed open the door to her bedroom and her breath caught at the sight of the woman sitting on the edge of her and her husband's bed, her profile bathed in moonlight and the glow of the city outside.

"Maureen," her eyes followed the graceful lines of the senator's neck, and Ellie's heart raced in her chest. She was beautiful, in a gown of silk and velvet, ornate beading and her shoulders bare, velvet wrapped around the lithe muscle of her upper arms. She glowed in the darkness, and Ellie heard herself give a soft sight.

Maureen's head turned at the sound of her voice, a sweet smile spreading across her face. "Ellie." She stayed seated, her legs crossed beneath the embroidered silk of her gown. "You've outdone yourself again this year."

Ellie gave a small shrug, stepping into the room and finally closing the door behind herself. "I'm a hostess," she said mildly, leaning against the door, her hands behind her back. "People expect something from me, don't they?"

"Ellie, you always exceed expectations."

She smiled, pushing herself off the door before she shook her head in protest. "I planned a nice party, Maureen. You give me too much credit."

"And you look stunning," Maureen finally stood and Ellie couldn't contain her gasp. Maureen's dress was even more elegant than she had anticipated, black and flowing, and as Ellie stepped closer she could see the beads catching the light.

"I haven't properly greeted you," Ellie murmured as she finally caught a whiff of Maureen's perfume, her resolve weakening with each step she took. She had been playing the role of ever gracious hostess all evening but Maureen's arrival had come in the middle of a particularly inopportune conversation with Aubrey.

"No," Maureen shook her head in agreement. "No, you haven't."

"Senator Pagolis," she lifted her arms in greeting, wrapping them around Maureen when she stepped into reach. "So lovely to see you."

Ellie moved to kiss both of Maureen's cheeks, but Maureen was faster. She turned her head, catching Ellie's lips with her own, her arms moving to the other woman's silk-covered hips. Her lips were soft and gentle against Ellie's and she pulled back after a moment, brushing a whisper of a kiss against her chin.

"You win," was Ellie's breathy response, looking up through thick lashes at Maureen.

Maureen chuckled, brushing her fingers through Ellie's side-swept bangs, "I've missed you. DC was a nightmare."

"I've missed you too," Ellie's fingertips brushed against the strong line of Maureen's jaw. "Aubrey's freshman year has been a nightmare."

"I assumed as much after the last time we spoke," she fingered the a few loose tendrils before smoothing them back into Ellie's up-do, gazing down lovingly at the other woman. "How are you, Ellie?"

"I'm fine," the backs of her fingers stroked the side of Maureen's neck. "Better than fine now," she leaned in, tempted by the small cluster of freckles near Maureen's shoulder. Her lips brushed against warm skin and she smiled.

"Good," Maureen shivered as Ellie's lips moved down over her exposed shoulder. She placed a hand at the back of Ellie's head, her other arm slipping around her middle.

Ellie frowned when her lips found velvet just beneath the curve of Maureen's shoulder, and she pulled away for the briefest of moments, examining the neckline of Maureen's gown. "You're so lovely," she sighed, her eyes hazy and sparkling in the dark.

Maureen simply smiled, stroking the back of Ellie's neck with her fingertips. She let out a soft sight when Ellie leaned back in, her chin brushing against velvet as she kissed her way across Maureen's chest. "Ellie."

"Hmm?" she hummed, pulling back to look up into Maureen's darkening green eyes.

Maureen's hand brushed against the smooth skin of Ellie's neck before she leaned in to kiss her. She was slow and sweet, her lips barely brushing against the other woman's, and she felt Ellie's hands at her hips, pulling her closer.

"You're like a deep well someone could fall into," Ellie murmured, her words muffled by Maureen's lips. Her grip on the senator's hips tightened, the velvet and silk soft beneath her fingers. "I could drown in you," she mumbled before Maureen's lips captured her own in a bruising kiss. Her lips were frantic against Maureen's, her tongue insistent, and she could feel her chest heaving with each breath. "I want to be with you," she pulled Maureen flush against her. "I want to feel you," she groaned softly, breaking the kiss to brush her lips over the flushed skin of Maureen's neck, feeling the other woman's heart racing beneath her mouth.

"Oh god," Maureen's voice was low and full of desire, and she gave a breathless nod as Ellie began to bunch up the silk skirt of her gown.

"Mrs. Cain!" there was a sharp knock at the door and Ellie jerked away from Maureen and both women gasped at the sudden loss of contact. One of Ellie's hands moved to smooth her hair back into its twist, the other covered her mouth as she struggled to steady herself.

Maureen cursed softly under her breath as she smoothed out the skirt of her gown, her heavy diamond catching on the gauzy material. A few beads fell to the floor, rolling beneath the bed.

"_Mrs. Cain_," the voice on the other side was urgent, panicked. "It's Leopold."

Ellie looked up at Maureen, her eyes wide and full of terror, and Maureen's heart ached. "Just a minute," her voice sounded shrill and foreign to her own ears.

"Go," Maureen urged, dropping to her original seat on the edge of the bed. "Your son needs you, Ellie."

Ellie nodded, the words hadn't quite registered, her hand dropping to her chest as she approached the door, "Leopold?" She slipped back into the hallway, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"The pool," his nanny's face was pale, her voice shaking. "He was in the pool. He's not breathing."

This information seemed to reach Ellie's ears and she stood up to her full height then, lifting her skirt and rushing down the stairs. Leopold's nanny hurried behind her, and it was all Ellie could to do keep from pushing every CEO and politician out of her way as she made her way toward the elevator. Panic clutched at her heart and her hands shook as she reached out for the elevator buttons. As the doors began to close, she looked up, seeing Maureen making a slow descent down the stairs. Maureen seemed to understand without a word, and she gave a nod of confirmation. The house would be empty when the Cains returned.


End file.
